Judy Barth was working in her yard when she experienced what she thought was heartburn. The pain increased to the point that she called for help. The last thing she remembers is scrambling for her insurance cards and passing…
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Barbara Saunders taught social studies to junior high students for 32 years and loved it. She was preparing lesson plans one January when she grew weak and her legs gave way. Barbara was taken to the hospital where she was…
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Carolyn Abeyta considers herself a "can do" girl. The physicians and staff at Regency Hospital of Central Georgia call her a miracle. Carolyn's story began with a simple fall at home. A few days after, she noticed she was…
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Carolyn Abeyta considers herself a "can do" girl. The physicians and staff at Regency Hospital of Central Georgia call her a miracle. Carolyn's story began with a simple fall at home. A few days after, she noticed she was…
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Daniel Williams, 22 years old, had just started a new job with an air conditioning company when he became sick with fever, a headache and a stiff neck. Within 24 hours of feeling bad, he went from interacting normally to a…
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Privacy Notice

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can obtain access to this information. Please review it carefully.

The terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices apply to Select Specialty Hospital/Select Medical and each of its subsidiaries, affiliates, and entities managed or controlled by Select Medical, including the corporate office and its employees.

All of the entities will share personal health information of patients as necessary to carry out treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as permitted by law. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of our patients' personal health information and to provide patients with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to personal health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice for as long as it remains in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices as necessary and to make a new Notice effective for all personal health information maintained by Select Specialty Hospital/Select Medical. We are also required to inform you that there may be a provision of State law that relates to the privacy of your health information that may be more stringent than a standard or requirement under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A copy of any revised Notice of Privacy Practices or information pertaining to a specific State law may be obtained by mailing a request to:

Uses & Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

Authorization and Consent

Except as outlined below, we will not use or disclose your personal health information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations unless you have signed a form authorizing the use or disclosure. You have the right to revoke that authorization in writing unless we have taken any action in reliance on the authorization.

Uses and Disclosures for Treatment

With your agreement, we will make uses and disclosures of your personal health information as necessary for your treatment. Doctors and nurses and other professionals involved in your care will use information in your medical record and information that you provide about your symptoms and reactions to your course of treatment that may include procedures, medications, tests, medical history etc.

Uses and Disclosures for Payment

With your agreement, we will make uses and disclosures of your personal health information as necessary for payment purposes. During the normal course of business operations, we may forward information regarding your medical procedures and treatment to your insurance company to arrange payment for the services provided to you. We may use your information to prepare a bill to send to you or to the person responsible for your payment.

Uses and Disclosures for Health Care Operations

With your agreement, we will use and disclose your personal health information as necessary, and as permitted by law, for our health care operations, which may include clinical improvement, professional peer review, business management, accreditation and licensing, etc. For instance, we may use and disclose your personal health information for purposes of improving the clinical treatment and patient care.

Individuals Involved In Your Care

With your written agreement we may from time to time disclose your personal health information to designated family, friends, and others who are involved in your care or in payment of your care in order to facilitate that person's involvement in caring for you or paying for your care. If you are unavailable, incapacitated, or facing an emergency medical situation and we determine that a limited disclosure may be in your best interest, we may share limited personal health information with involved individuals without your approval. We may also disclose limited personal health information to a public or private entity that is authorized to assist in disaster relief efforts in order for that entity to locate a family member or other persons that may be involved in some aspect of caring for you.

Business Associates

Certain aspects and components of our services are performed through contracts with outside persons or organizations, such as auditing, accreditation, outcomes data collection, legal services, etc. At times it may be necessary for us to provide your personal health information to one or more of these outside persons or organizations who assist us with our health care operations. In all cases, we require these business associates to appropriately safeguard the privacy of your information.

Appointments and Services

We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about your treatment or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. You have the right to request and we will accommodate reasonable requests by you to receive communications regarding your personal health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations. For instance, if you wish appointment reminders to not be left on voice mail or sent to a particular address, we will accommodate reasonable requests. You also have the right to request that we not send you any future marketing materials and we will use our best efforts to honor such request. You may make your requests by sending your name and address to:

Privacy OfficerSelect MedicalP.O. Box 2034Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Research

In limited circumstances, we may use and disclose your personal health information for research purposes. In all cases where your specific authorization is not obtained, your privacy will be protected by strict confidentiality requirements applied by an Institutional review board which oversees the research or by representations of the researchers that limit their use and disclosure of patient information.

Other Uses and Disclosures

We are permitted and/or required by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your personal health information without your consent or authorization for the following:

Any purpose required by law.

Public health activities, such as required reporting of disease, injury, birth and death, or required public health investigations.

If we suspect child abuse or neglect; if we believe you to be a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

To the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects, or to participate in product recalls.

To your employer when we have provided health care to you at the request of your employer;

To a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, or civil or criminal proceedings.

Court or administrative ordered subpoena or discovery request;

To law enforcement officials as required by law to report wounds and injuries and crimes;

To coroners and/or funeral directors consistent with law;

If necessary to arrange an organ or tissue donation from you or a transplant for you;

If you are a member of the military; we may also release your personal health information for national security or intelligence activities; and

Rights That You Have Regarding Your Personal Health Information

Access to Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to copy and/or inspect much of the personal health information that we retain on your behalf. All requests for access must be made in writing and signed by you or your legal representative. You may obtain a "Patient Access to Health Information Form" from the front office person.

Amendments to Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request in writing that personal health information that we maintain about you be amended or corrected. We are not obligated to make all requested amendments but will give each request careful consideration. All amendment requests, must be in writing, signed by you or your legal representative and must state the reasons for the amendment/correction request. If an amendment or correction request is made, we may notify others who work with us if we believe that such notification is necessary. You may obtain an "Amendment Request Form" from the front office person or individual responsible for medical records.

Accounting for Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures made by us of your personal health information after April 14, 2003. Requests must be made in writing and signed by you or your legal representative. "Accounting Request Forms" are available from the front office person or individual responsible for medical records. The first accounting in any 12-month period is free; you will be charged a fee for each subsequent accounting you request within the same 12-month period. You will be notified of the fee at the time of your request.

Restrictions on Use and Disclosure of Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request restrictions on uses and disclosures of your personal health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your restriction request, but will attempt to accommodate reasonable requests when appropriate. We retain the right to terminate an agreed-to restriction if we believe such termination is appropriate. In the event of a termination by us, we will notify you of such termination. You also have the right to terminate, in writing or orally, any agreed-to restriction by sending such termination notice to the individual responsible for medical records.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing with:

Privacy OfficerSelect MedicalP.O. Box 2034Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. in writing within 180 days of a violation of your rights. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

Workers' Compensation

For patients whose medical treatment is covered under a state workers' compensation program, please note the following: Disclosure of your protected health information (PHI) for purposes of providing treatment and obtaining payment under the state's workers' compensation is governed by the state workers' compensation regulations and procedures. Therefore, we are not obligated to secure a written authorization as otherwise required by HIPAA in order to disclose your PHI for workers' compensation purposes, nor may you restrict our use or disclosure of your PHI for workers' compensation purposes. Written consent to use or disclose your PHI may be required pursuant to our internal policies and/or state workers' compensation program rules in order to process your claims. Failure to provide any required written consent may result in your financial liability for medical services and supplies.

For More Information

If you have questions or need further assistance regarding this Notice, you may call the HIPAA Question Line at (717) 730-4230 or contact: